Immigrant freed after Missouri no-bail law struck down

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) — An immigrant charged with possessing a fake Social Security card is free on bail following a Missouri Supreme Court decision striking down a law under which he had been jailed.

Online court records show Faustino Lopez-Matias was released this week after posting a $200 cash bond. He had been jailed since Sept. 3 under a Missouri law denying bail to defendants who cannot prove they are legally present in the U.S.

Missouri's high court ruled last week that the law violated the state constitution and ordered a new hearing for Lopez-Matias.

Court records show he was stopped by a Linn Creek police officer for speeding on U.S. 54. Those records say Lopez-Matias had no driver's license and a fraudulent Social Security card that he told police he bought for $50.